In today's newsletter: Caldera raised $112M to target IBD & Cyprium's Menkes disease drug get approved

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Biotech Snap Brought to you by     The latest Biotech News and Views   Brought to you by   Good morning! Every year, the JPM Healthcare Conference comes with the same expectation: big announcements, major deals, and headline-making news. But so far, what we've mostly seen are company strategic updates. Useful, yes, but with little that truly feels new. Today is the final day of JPM, so there's still time for a few last-minute surprises (who knows). We'll keep an eye on what comes out and share anything that's worth your attention. Enjoy today's read! - Joachim E. SNAPSHOT Caldera is heating up with $112M to target IBD's next frontier Caldera Therapeutics emerged with $112.5M in funding from Atlas Venture, LAV and venBio to advance an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) bispecific antibody licensed from China's Qyuns Therapeutics into clinical trials. Why it matters: IBD affects millions globally, and Caldera's dual-target approach, aiming at IL-23p19 and TL1A pathways, could raise the efficacy bar in treating the disease, but also other conditions like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Backstory: Founded in 2025, Caldera is led by Praveen Tipirneni, former CEO of Morphic Therapeutic, which was acquired by Eli Lilly for $3.2B. The startup has already launched a phase 1 trial for its lead asset, CLD-423. Big picture: Big Pharma is betting heavily on TL1A and IL-23p19 as key immune targets. Recent deals like Roche's $7B buyout of Telavant and multiple moves by AbbVie, Sanofi, and Teva highlight the growing race to redefine IBD treatment. Zoom in: CLD-423 is a bispecific antibody that merges two validated autoimmune targets in one drug. IL-23p19 is targeted by approved drugs like Omvoh (Lilly), Tremfya (J&J), and Skyrizi (AbbVie). TL1A's potential gained traction following recent clinical wins. What's next: Investors see CLD-423 as a potential new standard of care in IBD. The biotech aims to validate its dual-pathway strategy and position the therapy as a best-in-disease contender. PRESENTED BY MYDATA-TRUST A unique moment to connect with the Health Data Privacy ecosystem Only a few days left and limited seats remaining to join the Data Privacy for Health Summit in Brussels. A full day of expert discussions on AI, re-identification risk, EHDS, privacy-enhancing technologies, and patient data ownership, with 20 speakers from biotechs, med-tech, pharmas, public institutions, and regulators. Discover the agenda and register now SNIPPETS What's happening in biotech today? Copper cure: Fortress Biotech's subsidiary, Cyprium Therapeutics, has received FDA approval for Zycubo (copper histidinate), a subcutaneously administered treatment for Menkes disease, a rare genetic disorder caused by ATP7A mutations that disrupt copper absorption. The approval follows positive clinical results showing significantly improved survival in early-treated patients (median survival of 177.1 months vs. 17.6 months for untreated). Zycubo had previously received multiple FDA designations, including breakthrough therapy and orphan drug status, and also holds an orphan designation from the EMA. Data tsunami: At the 2026 JPM Healthcare Conference, Illumina unveiled the Billion Cell Atlas, a large-scale genetic dataset developed in partnership with AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, and MSD to accelerate AI-driven drug discovery. Powered by CRISPR and data from 200 disease-relevant cell lines, The Atlas enables mapping of cellular responses to 20,000 gene perturbations across multiple disease areas, including immunology, oncology, and neurological disorders. Intended to improve drug target validation, the Atlas will generate 20 petabytes of single-cell transcriptomic data annually. siRNA scoop: Sino Biopharmaceutical has announced its acquisition of Hangzhou Hygieia Biomedical for up to 1.2 billion yuan ($172.04 million) through a combination of cash and shares, making Hygieia an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary. Listed in Hong Kong, both companies are based in China, with Hygieia specializing in the research and development of innovative small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapies. Hygieia has built a comprehensive drug development platform from target discovery to clinical proof-of-concept and focuses on chronic disease areas, including weight management and metabolism, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions, and neurological disorders. Protein upgrade: Nuclera has extended its Series C funding to $87 million with a $12 million boost. The funding will accelerate the integration of full-format antibody expression and binding validation into the company's eProtein Discovery system, a benchtop platform designed for high-throughput protein engineering. This expansion supports AI-enabled biologics discovery by enabling end-to-end antibody workflows on a single platform, aiming to provide scalable, high-quality datasets. Nasal nosedive: Lyra Therapeutics has announced it will cease development of its sole drug candidate, LYR-210, for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and lay off all 28 remaining employees as part of broader cost-saving measures. Despite a phase 3 trial success in CRS patients without nasal polyps in mid-2025, and prior plans to pursue regulatory approval, the company's board has decided to suspend the program. The bioresorbable nasal implant had been designed to deliver a steroid treatment over six months. CEO Maria Palasis and CFO Jason Cavalier will stay on as consultants as Lyra explores strategic alternatives for the asset. TOUR OPERATOR Upcoming events Heidelberg, 4 February 2026 – Life, the biomedical convention Dubai, 9-12 February 2026 – WHX Dubai Göttingen, 19 February 2026 – Life Science Start-up Day London, 24-25 February 2026 – World ADC London 2026 Amsterdam, 3-4 March 2026 – BioCapital Barcelona, 10-12 March 2026 – Bioprocessing Summit Europe Utrecht, 26 March 2026 – Innovation for Health Vienna, 27-30 March 2026 – BioProcess International Munich, 17-21 April 2026 – ESCMID Global San Diego, 17-22 April 2026 – AACR Annual Meeting Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical or AZoNetwork.   Why did you receive this email? 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